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REPORT 


CO^IMITTRK  OF  WAYS  AND  MEANS. 

On  the  bill  to  be  entitltd  "  Ait  Act  to  crmpensate  the  Marshals  mid  their 
Assistants,  for  taking  the  census  in  1860,  in  those  Stotrs  note  forming 
the  Southern  Confederacy.'' 


The  Comiuittcc  oi'  Ways  and  Means,  to  Avhieli  was  referred  the  bill 
to  he  entitled  ••  An  Act  to  compensate  the  Marshals  and  their  Assis- 
tants. foT  taking  the  census  in  ISGil,  in  those  States  now  forming  the 
Southern  Confederacy,''  have  had  the  same  under  consideration,  and 
submit  the  following  report  thereon  : 

The  hill  proposes  to  provide  compensation  to  Marshals  and  their 
Assistants  for  services  rendered  in  taking  the  census  in  l<S(jO,  under 
appointments  made  by  the  United  States.  The  services  were  render- 
ed to  the  United  States,  and  the  right  to  compensation  from  that. Gov- 
erumeut  had  accrued  before  the  secession  of  the  Confederate  States. 

The  question  presented  b\^  the  bill  then,  is  simply  this:  Is  there 
any  obligation  upon  the  Government  of  the  Confederate  States,  to 
assume  and  pay  for  services  rendered  to  the  United  Ssates,  by  persons 
at  the  time  of  the  rendition  of  suclf  service,  belonging  to  the  United 
States,  but  since  the  separation,  forming  a  part  of  the  Confederate 
States  I 

The  Committee  in  considering  this  question,  have  not  had  reference 
alone,  to  services  rendered  before  the  separation,  by  Marshals  and 
their  Assistants  in  taking  the  census  of  1860,  but  have  embraced  in 
their  examination  other  questions  of  a  similar  character,  which  may, 
and  doubtless  will  arise,  where  citizens  of  the  Confederate  States  may 
have  had  unsettled  transactions  with  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  at  the  time  of  the  separation.  If  wc  acknowledge  the  princi- 
ple, that  because  the  States  now  composing  the  Confederacy  derived 
some  benefit  and  advantage  from  the  taking  of  the  census  in  1860, 
that  the  Confederate  States  ought,  therefore,  to  assume  and  pay  adcb4 
due  from  the  United  States,  we  establish  a  precedent,  unsafe  to  the 
Treasury,  and  of  questionable  obligation. 

Such  a  precedent  would  require  the  payment  of  all  just  claims  held 
by  citizens  of  the  Confederate  States  against  the  Government  of  the 


United  States,  for  services  rendered  before  the  separation ;  for  in  lUl 
such  cases,  it  might,  as  well  as  in  the  present,  be  alleged  that  such 
services  were,  to  some  extent,  beneficial  to  the  Confederate  States, 
while  tlicy  formed  ii  part  of  the  United  States. 

Your  Committee,  therefore,  recommend  that  the   bill  committed  to 
.them  do  not  pass. 


AN  ACT 

Entiilt'^l  An  Act  to  coinpeusate  the  Marshals  and  their  Assisumts.  for 
takin'r  the  census  in  180O.  in  tliosc  States  no-vv  forming  the  South- 
ern  Confe'leracy. 

Whkreas,  The  Marshals  and  their  assistants,  appointed  to  take  the 
census  of  the  Inited  States  in  the  year  eiirhteen  hundred  nnd  sixty,  and 
who  performed  that  duty  in  those  States,  now  eoni^risin^  the  Soutlicni 
Confederacy,  have  not  received  from  the  United  States  Government 
the  compensation  due  tliem.  And,  whereas,  the  States  of  this  Con- 
federacy nre  in  possession  of  the  ori^iinal  returns,  deposited  in  each 
county  or  parish,  and  copies  of  which  have  been  filed  in  the  Comp- 
troller's office,  in  each  of  said  States,  which  returns  are  of  crreat  value 
to  this  Government — 

Skction  1.  The  Somie  and  Hoinf  of  Jiepresenfativrs  of  (he  Cnnfaderate 
States  do  enarf,  That  the  compensation  due  the  Marshals  and  their  As- 
sistants as  aforesaid,  be  paid  out  of  any  money  in  the  Treasury  not 
otherwise  apjnopriated. 

Sec.  2.  Before  payment  shall  he  made  umler,  and  by  virtue  of  this 
Act,  the  Marshals  and  their  Assistants  shall  V)e  required  to  produce 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  a  certified  copy  of  the  original  cen«us 
returns  from  their  respective  counties  or  parishes. 


Hollinger  Corp. 
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